Why I Can’t Tell You How Much a 2 Carat Diamond Costs

It’s still Can’t Week, lovely readers. If you don’t know, now you know. And if you still don’t know, I’ll wait here while you catch up with this post, this one, and this one. Ready? Let’s go.

Except for this one. This one costs $19,495

Ok, imagine I’m doing like a very deep sexy voice a la late night radio. “This one goes out to all my ladies, all my friends who text me pictures of diamonds and ask how many carats they are, and how much they are. All for you, girl.” End voice. It’s a familiar happening that anyone who works in the jewelry industry can attest to. Your friends and family will consult you on all things jewelry related. Your word is law, as far as they’re concerned, and they’d like to ask you all kinds of questions you can’t answer. This is especially hard for know-it-alls like myself, who have been known to answer with nonsensical facts in a knee-jerk reaction. Took my husband a few years to figure out when I was answering with genuine authority, because I was so convinced that my BS theory as to why Franz Ferdinand was shot was indeed the answer.

I digress, as usual. Anyway, I imagine I know how doctors feel when family members constantly ask them to check out their moles. Except it’s not my uncles asking whether it’s an irregular shade of black, it’s my besties sending me screen shots from the Tumblr black hole, asking “How much would something like this cost?”

I can’t tell you. First of all, I can’t tell if that’s some Backstreet Boy’s fiancé’s hand, or if it belongs to a real person. So I can’t even tell, thanks to the absurd use of Instagram filters on this pic, if that’s even a diamond. If it is I can only use my super-hero like ability to guesstimate the carat weight. Really, I’m good. Ask the Graff security guard on Oak Street. I always ballpark the new window displays, to his delight, I’m sure.

So I can’t tell you the carat weight, I can only use my aforementioned, convincing BS-erie to say “It looks like 2 carats.” The follow up question is always “How much?” I don’t know! I can’t tell you! Because carat weight is only one factor in determining the price of a diamond, albeit the largest factor.

I’d need to know:

The diamond’s color – a D is going to be a s-load more expensive than a J.

The diamonds’ clarity – again, Flawless will cost you a premium. And, because you can’t tell the difference between diamonds, you’d be hard pressed to tell me if it’s a VS or VVS, which would definitely affect the price.

The diamond’s cut – it’d better be very good or I’m not even answering you’re questions.

Whether that rock is GIA certified – or certified at all. but really, GIA is preferable because it’s the most consistent. And thusly, slightly more expensive.

You know what I can do? Refer you, lovingly, to RLJ’s diamond search. Or insist you type in “2 carat” to the search bar on our shop. Or scroll through all the pages of your desired diamond shape because it’s fun and addicting, and a certain Law & Order obsessed one of you is usually looking for a good way to kill time at work. This will give you both a frame of reference for the huge range of prices for 2 carat diamonds, and an idea of what your diamond might cost.